Holder for intravenous injection cannula and tubing

ABSTRACT

A holder for tubular items, particularly equipment used during intravenous injections, such as infusion tubing or the hub of an injection cannula, comprises a strip of adhesively-backed tape and a longitudinally split, elongate, cylindrical, clamping tube of flexible and preferably resilient plastic material securely attached to the top of the tape. A latch for positively keeping the clamping tube closed about a received item may be provided, preferably in the form of a securement flap attached to the clamping tube at one side thereof and interlocking means having component parts attached, respectively, to the securement flap and at the opposite side of the clamping tube. For holding both an injection cannula and infusion tubing during the administering of an intravenous liquid, two or more clamping tubes may be provided in juxtaposed position on a single piece of tape.

United States Patent [191 Boyd [ HOLDER FOR INTRAVENOUS INJECTION CANNULA AND TUBING [76] Inventor: William A. Boyd, 3599 Wellington,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84106 [22] Filed: Nov. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 306,610

[52] US. Cl. 128/133, 128/214 R, 128/D1G. 26

[51] Int. Cl. A61m 05/00, A61m 25/02 [58] Field of Search 128/348, 349 R, 350 R, 128/351, 214 R, 133, 215, DIG. 26; 248/74 A, 205 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,707,953 5/1955 Ryan 128/214 R 3,059,645 10/1962 Hasbrouck et a1 128/348 X 3,288,136 11/1966 Lund 128/133 3,324,853 6/1967 Czorny et a1. 128/2144 3,630,195 12/1971 Santomieri 128/133 3,696,920 10/1972 Lahay 206/632 R 3,702,612 11/1972 Schlesinger 128/350 R 51 Sept. 10, 1974 Primary Examiner-Dalton L. Truluck Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Philip A. Mallinckrodt 5 7 ABSTRACT nent parts attached, respectively, to the securement flap and at the opposite side of the clamping tube. For holding both an injection cannula and infusion tubing during the administering of an intravenous liquid, two or more clamping tubes may be provided in juxtaposed position on a single piece of tape.

8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures HOLDER FOR INTRAVENOUS INJECTION CANNULA AND TUBING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field:

This invention has to do with devices for holding tubular items, particularly items of equipment used in the medical field for the intravenous injection of liquids.

2. State of the Art:

The most commonly used method of securing injection cannula, infusion tubes, and other tubular items of equipment during intravenous injections has been to strap such items to the patient with ordinary adhesive tape. This has proven unsatisfactory, because the tape must be removed each time the held item is changed, causing discomfort to the patient andpossible skin damage. Moreover, the items are usually not held sufficiently securely, and are likely to move relative tothe patient each time the patient moves, again causing pain and possible injury or even complete dislodgment of the item. Various devices for holding either an injection cannula or an infusion tube in place have been developed heretofore, see especially U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,853 and 3,630,195, but the need remains for a more satisfactory solution to the problems presented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the making of the invention, it was an object to provide'a highly effective yet economical and disposable holder for tubular items, particularly tubular items of equipment used in the medical field for the injection of intravenous liquids, from which holder such tubular items can be easily removed and replaced while leaving the holder in its secured position, e.g., adhesively attached to the body of the medical patient.

This was accomplished by securing one or more longitudinally split, elongate, cylindrical clamping tubes of flexible plastic material to the upper surface of adhesively-backed tape, and, if desired, by also providing latching means for holding the mutually opposing, semi-cylindrical portions of the clamping tube together about. an item to be held. If the plastic material of the clamping tube is merely flexible, latching means may be necessary; if flexible and resilient, closure is automatic following insertion of the item to be held. The latching means is preferably in the form of a flap secured to one side of the clamping tube and carrying an interlocking part for latching engagement with a mating interlocking part secured at the opposite side of the clamping tube. The interlocking parts are advantageously pads of artificial burr material, such as is marketed under the trademark Velcro.

Two or more clamping tubes may be provided in juxtaposed relationship on the upper surface of one piece of tape, so that an intravenous injection cannula, or infusion tubing extending from the hub of such an injection cannula may be held by one of the clamping tubes and the return loop of the infusion tubing may be held by the other clamping tube. If desired, two or more of the holders may be used in tandem or otherwise.

It is preferred that the clamping tube used to hold the hub of the conventional injection cannula be internally configurated, as by the use of suitable plastic molding techniques, in general conformity with the external diameter of the cannula hub and of the thereto attached infusion tubing.

THE DRAWINGS The best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one form of the holder adapted to receive and hold an injection cannula;

FIG. 2, a transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1; l

FIG. 4, a view in perspective of another form of holder adapted to receive and hold infusion tubing, and provided with a preferred type of latching means;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary view in perspective of an arm of a patient, with the holders of FIGS. 1 and 4 being utilized to receive and hold an injection cannula and infusion tubing, respectively;

FIG. 6, a transverse vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7, a view corresponding to that of FIG. 1 but showing a holder provided with two clamping tubes, both being of the latching type shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8, a view similiar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the holder of FIG. 7 being utilized to receive and hold a loop of infusion tubing;

FIG. 9, a view corresponding to that of FIG. 7, but showing a combination of the clamping tubes of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4; and

FIG. 10, a view corresponding to that of FIG. 8, but showing the holder of FIG. 9 being utilized to receive and hold an injection cannula with looped infusion tub- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS The holder device of FIG. 1 is largely molded integrally to final form from a flexible and resilient plastic material, such as a flexible-resilient type of polyvinylchloride. It comprises a longitudinally split, elongate, cylindrical, clamping tube 10 molded integrally with and transversely across the upper surface of a length of tape 11, which is backed by pressure sensitive adhesive 12 protectively covered by throw-away strips 13 and 14 having pull tabs 13a and 14a, respectively.

In this instance, clamping tube 10 is intended to receive and hold an intravenous injection cannula 15, FIG. 5, after the vein-penetrating needle (not shown) has been removed. It is internally configurated, in general conformity with the external diameter of the hub portion of such cannula and of the thereto attached infusion tubing. Thus, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the longitudinal split 16 in clamping tube 10 opens into a passage 17, which extendsalong most of the length of the clamping tube from one end 10a thereof and is of diameter approximating the external diameter of the rearwardly extending infusion tubing 19, FIG. 5. The annular shoulder 10b between passages 17 and 18 provides an abutment stop for the rear end of the cannula hub to keep the cannula 15 from sliding rearwardly out of the clamping tube.

The forward end 10a of the clamping tube is preferably beveled, as shown, to facilitate. placement of the cannula in the clamping tube following its insertion in the vein. I

The embodiment of FIG. 4 comprises a longitudinally split, elongate, cylindrical, clamping tube 20, provided in this instance by a length of longitudinally split plastic tubing,- which may be flexible and resilient, as in the clamping tube 10, or which may be merely flexible, since this embodiment is provided with latching means to retain the clamping tube in closed condition hugging a received item. Clamping tube is securely attached to and extends transversely across the upper surface of a length of adhesively-backed tape 21, as by means of applied adhesive (not indicated), and a latching flap 22 is secured, also as by means of applied adhesive, to and along one of the mutually opposing semi-cylindrical portions of the clamping tube. The latching means includes interlocking parts between flap 22 and either the opposite portion of the clamping tube, or, as shown, the upper surface of tape 21 adjoining such opposite portion of the clamping tube. Preferably, as shown, the interlocking means comprises a pad 23 of artificial burr material, e.g. the proprietary product Velcro, attached, as by means of applied adhesive, to the underside of flap 22, and a mating pad 24 similarly attached to the upper surface of tape 21, although other types of interlocking means, such as snap fasteners, could be employed.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the embodiment of FIG. 4 is advantageously utilized in tandem with the embodiment of FIG. 1 to hold a portion of the infusion tubing 19 that extends backwardly from the hub of the injection cannula 15.

It has been found advantageous for some applications to utilize a holder providing two (or more) clamping tubes secured to a single length of adhesively-backed tape in juxtaposition, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, two longitudinally split elongate, cylindrical clamping tubes 25 and 26, similiar to the one shown in FIG. 4, are arranged in back-to-back relationship on a single length of adhesively-backed tape 27. This holder may be conveniently used, as in FIG. 8, to receive and hold a looped length of intravenous infusion tubing 28.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, two longitudinally split elongate, cylindrical, clamping tubes 29 and 30 are similiarly arranged in back-to-back relationship on a single length of adhesively-backed tape 31, but the clamping tube 29 is similiar to the one shown in FIG. 1, while the clamping tube 30 is similiar to the one shown in FIG. 4. This holder may be. conveniently used to hold an intravenous injection cannula 32, FIG. 10, and a looped length of infusion tubing 33.

In all instances, the item to be held is pressed into the longitudinal split of the elongate clamping tube, thereby flexing the mutually opposing, semi-cylindrical portions of the clamping tube outwardly to receive the clamping tube are pressed together about the received.

item and latched securely against inadvertent release.

Whereas this invention is illustrated and described with particular emphasis on the illustrated embodiments, it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the inventive concepts claimed.

I claim:

1. A holder for tubular items, especially items of equipment used during intravenous injections or the like, comprising a strip of adhesively-backed tape; an elongate, cylindrical, clamping tube of flexible plastic material having a longitudinal split extending from endto-end thereof, said clamping tube being firmly secured along the side thereof opposite said split to the upper face of said tape thereby forming mutually opposed, substantially semi-cylindrical, longitudinal projections extending along said tape which will flex open to receive the item to be held and will flex closed to hug said item; and latching means on said holder and extending substantially the length of the clamping tube and across said split for holding the opposed, longitudinal, clamping tube projections in tightly hugging relationship about an item received by said clamping tube.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the clamping tube and tape are of one-piece construction.

3. A holder according to claim 1, wherein one end of the clamping tube is beveled to facilitate placement of the item to be held in said clamping tube.

4. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the part of the interlocking means at the opposite side of the clamping tube is secured to the upper surface of the tape.

5. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the respective parts of the interlocking means are pads of artificial burr material.

6. A holder according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of longitudinally split, clamping tubes are secured in juxtaposition on the upper surface of the tape.

7. A holder according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality is provided with latching means.

8. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the clamping tube is internally configurated in general conformity with the external diameter of the hub of an intravenous injection cannula and of attached infusion tublng l 

1. A holder for tubular items, especially items of equipment used during intravenous injections or the like, comprising a strip of adhesively-backed tape; an elongate, cylindrical, clamping tube of flexible plastic material having a longitudinal split extending from end-to-end thereof, said clamping tube being firmly secured along the side thereof opposite said split to the upper face of said tape thereby forming mutually opposed, substantially semi-cylindrical, longitudinal projections extending along said tape which will flex open to receive the item to be held and wilL flex closed to hug said item; and latching means on said holder and extending substantially the length of the clamping tube and across said split for holding the opposed, longitudinal, clamping tube projections in tightly hugging relationship about an item received by said clamping tube.
 2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the clamping tube and tape are of one-piece construction.
 3. A holder according to claim 1, wherein one end of the clamping tube is beveled to facilitate placement of the item to be held in said clamping tube.
 4. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the part of the interlocking means at the opposite side of the clamping tube is secured to the upper surface of the tape.
 5. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the respective parts of the interlocking means are pads of artificial burr material.
 6. A holder according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of longitudinally split, clamping tubes are secured in juxtaposition on the upper surface of the tape.
 7. A holder according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality is provided with latching means.
 8. A holder according to claim 3, wherein the clamping tube is internally configurated in general conformity with the external diameter of the hub of an intravenous injection cannula and of attached infusion tubing. 